A human-machine interface (HMI) is a user interface or dashboard that connects a person to a machine, system, or device. While the term can technically be applied to any screen that allows a user to interact with a device, HMI is most commonly used in the context of industrial processes.
Although HMI is the most commonly used term for the technology, it is sometimes referred to as a man-machine interface (MMI), operator interface terminal (OIT), local operator interface (LOI), or operator terminal (OT) HMI is similar to, but not synonymous with, a graphical user interface (GUI): GUIs are often used for visualization functions in HMIs.
In an industrial environment, HMIs can be used to:
Visualize data
Track production times, trends, and labels
Monitor KPIs
Monitor machine inputs and outputs
and more
Similar to the way you interact with your air conditioning system to check and control the temperature of your house, a shop floor operator might use an HMI to check and control the temperature of an industrial water tank, or to see if a particular pump is currently running in that facility.
HMIs come in many forms, from built-in screens on machines to computer monitors to tablets, but regardless of their format or which terminology you use to refer to them, their purpose is to provide insight into the performance and progress of machinery.